Phlox plant named ‘David&#39;s Lavender’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘David&#39;s Lavender’, characterized by its upright plant habit; columnar plant form; vigorous growth habit; large inflorescences with numerous lavender-colored flowers; long flowering period; good garden performance; and resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical designation: Phlox paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘David's Lavender’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phloxplant, botanically known as Phlox paniculata, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name David's Lavender.

The new Phlox is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Phloxpaniculata cultivar David, not patented. The new Phlox was discoveredand selected by the Inventor as a flowering branch of a plant of ‘David’in a controlled environment in Blairsville, Ga.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings at Dahlonega, Ga.since March, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Phloxare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar David's Lavender have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light level without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘David's Lavender’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘David's Lavender’ as a newand distinct cultivar of Phlox:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit; columnar plant form.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Large inflorescences with numerous lavender-colored flowers.    -   4. Long flowering period.    -   5. Good garden performance.    -   6. Resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to plants of the parent, thecultivar David. Plants of the new Phlox differ from plants of thecultivar David primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Davidhave white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to the Phlox cultivarBarfourteen, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,605. In side-by-sidecamparisons, plants of the new Phlox differed from plants of thecultivar Barfourteen in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox were more vigorous than plants of the        cultivar Barfourteen.    -   2. Plants of the new Phlox had longer internodes and were not as        dense and bushy as plants of the cultivar Barfourteen.    -   3. Plants of the new Phlox had slightly larger flowers than        plants of the cultivar Barfourteen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Phlox.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘David's Lavender’ grown in an outdoornursery.

The photograph on the second page is a close-up view of a typicalinflorescence of ‘David's Lavender’. Plants used in the photographs wereabout one year old.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations and measurements describe plants grown inDahlonega, Ga. in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under commercialproduction practices during the spring and summer. Plants were grown inone-gallon containers and were about one year old when description wastaken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from16° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 24° C. Inthe following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox paniculata cultivar David's    Lavender.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Phlox    paniculata cultivar David, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three weeks at 29° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About four weeks at 24° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 6.5 weeks at            29° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 8.5 weeks at            24° C.        -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Upright plant habit; columnar form;            vigorous growth habit. Freely branching habit, about seven            basal branches per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 51 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 38 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 41 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Internode length: About 3.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.            Length: About 9.8 cm. Width: About 2.9 cm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Sharply acute to acuminate. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate.            Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 147A; venation, close to 146A. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,            similar to lamina.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single, rounded salverform flowers            arranged in large rounded panicles; flowers pinwheel in            shape with nonimbricate petals. Flowers face upright and            outward. Freely flowering habit; one inflorescence per            branch; each inflorescence with about 55 flowers.        -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet and fresh.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period;            continuously flowering throughout the summer in            Pennsylvania.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the            plant. Flowers persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 9.8 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 6.5 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Shape: Elongated oblong. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.5 cm. Depth: About 2.3 cm. Throat            diameter: About 4 mm. Tube length: About 2.2 cm. Tube            diameter, base: About 2 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl; petal nonimbricate; petals fused at the base into a            narrow tube. Lobe length: About 1.1 cm. Lobe width: About            1.1 cm. Lobe shape: Obovate to spatulate. Lobe apex:            Rounded. Lobe margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture,            lobes, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            Developing and fully expanded petals, upper surface: Close            to 155D overlain with close to 80A; towards the base, close            to 155D; faint central stripes and ring at throat, close to            80A. Developing and fully expanded petals, lower surface and            tube: Close to 155D blushed with close to 80A. Throat: Close            to 155D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl, fused; narrow tubular calyx. Length: About 9 mm.            Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Sharply            acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Angle:            Erect to about 60° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: Close to 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            five adnate to flower throat. Filament color: Close to 155D.            Anther shape: Linear, elongated. Anther length: About 2 mm.            Anther diameter: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 9A.            Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 9A. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: Typically one. Pistil length: About            2.5 cm. Stigma shape: Tri-parted. Stigma color: Close to            155D. Style length: About 2.4 cm. Style color: Close to            145D. Ovary color: Close to 144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed    to be resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new Phlox have not    been noted to be resistant to pests and other pathogens common to    Phlox.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from −23° C. to 38° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant named ‘David's Lavender’,as illustrated and described.